Water supply means for concrete mixers



Sept. 29, 1931. ASPDEN 1,825,039

WATER SUPPLY MEANS FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Oct. 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 anoemtoz Sept. 29, 1931. v F. ASPDEN 1,825,039 WATER SUPPLY MEANS FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Oct. 21, 1927 g s t -s 2 Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITE-D ;STATE 5 "Par OFFICE FRANK Amen, on vAiveoUvnn, BRITISH COLUMBIA,- cANADA, 'ASSIGNOR To RAnsoME CONCRETE ivrAcHINnRx-coMPA Y; or DUNELLEN, NEW JERSE, A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY 'WATER SUPPLY mae FOR ooivonn'rn ivrlxnns;

- Applicationfiled October 21,1927. gseriai-No. 227,651; I I

tankl throilghvalv'e and elbow 11, while This invention has to do with concrete mixing machines and more particularly relates to the means for supplying, such machines with water. 1

It is essentialin devices of thischaracter g L that the dry aggregates fedinto the mixer,

be met with a definite amount of water for each given batch. Should the percentage of water vary materially from the fixed standard the resulting mixture maybe unfit'for use in. the field due to incomplete or over hydration thereof, and the problem of measuring a definite quantity of water and feeding same to the mixer many times per hour and under varying conditions is a vexing "one.

Solutions thereof have. been presented but with indifferent success.

The improvements herein presented relate to a novel means for solving the aforementioned difliculty', operating inconjunction with the usual skipand mixer, fo r producing.

on each operation thereof, a concrete mass carrying exactlythe proper percentage of water, and involves the provision .ofa reliable mechanism for measuringzand admitting a definite quantity of Waterto the mixer which will function accurately in all positions of the apparatus and under all conditions of use.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical: section of the. water tank,-showing inlet and outlet connections;

Fig. 2 a partial showing of a modified form of tank adaptedfor use. in. horizontal position;and i Fig. 3 a general view in side elevationlof a section of the concrete mixing machine. Referring to Figure 8, I have shown my novel tank l-supported in any suitable manner on the frame 2, 3, transported by a truck adapted for raising and lowering through 'suitablepower means (not shown) by cable 6; said bucket 5 being shown at the highest point of its travel. viz., in position for discharging its load of dry aggregates inhopper 7 leading to mixer 4:. Water supply inlet 8., having the usual cut oflfi valve 9 communicates. with the outlet 12 from the tank, connected atithe center of} its dished bottom 12, discharges into: the mixer through conduit 13'. A suitable valve Hconnects ducts Hand 13 forming a continuous discharge line from tank 1 to mixer, 4. Valve arms 15 are; connected ito lever 16 for. simultaneous ope'rationby actutherefor,v Thus in, the chargingposition of tank 1 and skip 5; said spring; maintains rod 17 and Valve arms 15 swungto the right as seen in Figure 1..

1 l/Nhile the valve actuating structure is showndiagrammatically, it is to be understood that. when same is inthe position depicted-in Figure-1, valve 10 is openand' valve 14 closedl. As well'known. in the art, said valves are so arrangedthat' upon movement from theposition in Figurel to that in Figure 3,.valve 10 will completely close before valve .14 opens- For movement in the opposite-direction, valve 14; closes before valve 10 opens. l

Referring nowto'the measuring tank 1, I haveprovidedsame with a movable disc or partition22, spanning its bore, and closely fittingthe walls of the tank-in watertight relationship. The tank l is thus divided into a water compartment Wand an air compartinent A, thecapacity of whichmay beva ried by turning worm wheel23 threaded on worm 24 which is fixedly secured at, its inner end :to partition 22 ,and extends. upwardly through the tank top.. The worm24issuitably keyed .in tank top 25 to preventrotation thereof. while wheel 23fis rotatably secured to said top in any convenient manner to prevent longitudinalmovement thereof. TWorm 24, suitably.calibrated'to indicate gallons and j v fractional parts thereof, is =pro.vide.d with a machined recess or groove 26 on which appropriate numerals are stamped. For reading the tank capacity froma lower level, an indicator 27 is keyed in recess 26, responsive to vertical movements of worm 24, and being placed in a bracket 28 to prevent rotation, terminates in a pointer .29 lying adjacent suitable calibrations on the side of thetank (see Figure 3).

The partition 22 is pierced with a plurality of ducts or air vents 3O establishing communication between" compartments W and A. I provide, however, in compartment W, a float 31, closely adjacent partition 22, and normally spaced and suspended therefrom by a plurality of suports 32 passing through ducts 30. Suitable means such as cotter pins 33 complete the support for thefloat. In order that air. and water may reach the ducts 30 and at the same time afford freedom of movement for the float, I construct my float, which is preferably circular for the chosen tank, in such a manner that there is a slight clearance between it and the tank wall. Suitable packing means 34' for sealing ducts 30 are provided on the surfaceof float 31 next adjacent partition 22. Saidpacking is shown as surrounding; supports 32, but in place thereof, I may face the entire inner surface of float 31 with'packing material.

In operation, the" operator rotates worm wheel 23, until theindicating means registers the desired'volume, the Worm 24, partition 22 and float 31 moving longitudinally of the tank lto a position'whereby the compartment V corresponds in capacity with the calibration. Valve 10 being open and valve 14 closed, as shown in Figure 1, stop cock 9 is opened and water under pressure admitted to the tank. As the water rises in the tank, the air escapes around float 31 through ducts 30 into compartment A from whence it vents to the atmosphere through the threads in worm 24, and aperture therefor in tank top 25. When the water level reaches float 31,

the latter is buoyed up, forcing packing 34 against the ends of ducts 30 to seal same, thereby preventing escape of the rising water. Although the partition 22 is provided with water tight packing between its periphcry and the tank wall, as aforementioned, a slight clearance is provided between the tank wall and the periphery of float 31. An in finitesimal amount of water passes through said clearance, reaching the contiguous surfaces of float 31 andpartition 22, and wets said surfaces and packing 34, thereby effecting a water seal for the ends of ductsf3O supplementing the sealing action of the packing.

As no more water can be held in the compartment IV, the machine is in condition for operation.

As is well known tothose skilled. in the art, the bucket 5 is normally in lowered position to receive the charge at dry aggregates.

Tank 1 having been charged, as explained above, with the correct quantity of water for the chosen batch. bucket 5 is elevated by cable 6 to discharging position (as seen in Figure 3). As said bucket approaches'the end of its travel, dog 19, connected thereto, contacts with member 21 to urge rod 17 to the left against the action of spring 18. Valve arms 15are, in consequence, urged to the left, valve 10 first closing to cut off inlet 8 and valve 14 afterwards opening outlet 12 to discharge the contents. ofxcompartment W, through conduit 13, into mixer 4 where the charge from bucket 5 has been deposited during the same operation. It will be noted here that while. the filling operation of 'the tank is accomplished by'water under pressure, no force whatsoever ready to function in the next operation. i

Upon completion of'the foregoing operation, the'bucket 5 is lowered to. receiveanew charge and the spring 18, being released, automatically functions to return valves 10 and 14 to the position shownin Figure 1 at this time the valve 14 closing and valve 10 opening thereafter to admit afresh chargeofwater to the tank. This cycle is periodically repeated. withoutany further attention to valve 9. Since the float 31, may be moved to shut off ducts 30 either in response to water level or as a, result of the pressure of the water, it is apparent that my improved structure admits of accurate functioning regardless of the angle at which it may rest. For example,

should thewheels of the truck be on uneven ground, or on a grade, the float will operate to close and open the ducts, thus assuring that the tank will hold the same volume at which it has beenset, without further adjustment or concern about its axis. This feature is extremely important in. apparatus of this character because ofthe variety of topography confronted in use in the'field. I

. My modified structure presented in Figure 2 is adapted for use where a'vertically disposed tank is undesirable. I have therefore shown thetank 1 in horizontal position with the same'parts heretofore referred to. In

place of a plurality of air 'ventsor ducts in the partition, .I have shown the movable partition 22 with but one vent-30 disposed in that portion adjacent the upper side of the tank. Thefloat 31. carries the support 32 and cotter pin, as in the preferred embodiment, as

well as the packing f34. The partition'j2 2' is further provided with an annular T-sha-ped recess 35 in which are disposed the heads of a pluralityiof T-shaped guides 36, the longer leg of same being secured to float 31 for ios guiding and steadying same. Any number of such guides may be provided, althoughI prefer to use four mounted equi-distantly, from each other and from the ventBO. The re- 5 maining structure not shown, is understood to be the same as that shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, the water entering compartment V through 11, operates by pressure and through its buoyant effect, to actuate the float 31, the air escaping ofcourse' through the single duct 30. Said duct is sealed in the same manner as heretofore expressed.

It will be apparent to those skilled in theart, that my improvements alford a mechanism having few mechanical parts, for accurately measuring the water charge in any position of the apparatus. At the same time I have provided a gravity feed means from tank 1 to mixer 4 which, though simple, is

devoid of expulsion means relying on power.

In its entirety, I have co-ordinated the elements disclosed, into a mechanism which produces a reliable and dependable product in the field.

I claim:

In a concrete mixing machine having a mixer and a loading device forcharging said mixer with non-aqueous material, a water supply device comprising a tank, anadjust- 80 able partition therein for varying and determining the effective capacity of said tank, apertures adapted to act as air vents in said partition, a float member secured to said partition and positioned in close proximity thereto, supporting pins projecting from said float member and engaging said apertures, means for securing said pins to said partition, clo- -'sure means around said projecting pins and adapted to close said apertures as and when 10 the'usable portion of said tank is filled to capacity, controllable means adapted to alternately fill and completely discharge water into and from said tank respectively.

' Witness my hand this 4th day of October,

1927, at Vancouver, British Columbia.

FRANK ASPDEN. 

